Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THE "SAMUEL SMITH SALUTE"? The Samuel Smith Salute is an annual promotion held to recognize and celebrate this iconic British brewery. The last Samuel Smith Salute was in January 2016; the next Salute will be held in third week April 2017.

DO YOUR BEERS CONTAIN GMO INGREDIENTS? No. All of our beers are free of GMO ingredients.

WHY AREN'T SOME OF YOUR IMPORT BRANDS AVAILABLE IN MY STATE? In most cases this is due to specific state regulations which may prohibit the sale of products of certain alcohol content, or certain size packages.

CAN YOU IMPORT A FEW CASES OF XYZ BEER FOR ME? Any beer imported to the United States is subject to several label registration and licensing requirements. Further, we are not allowed to sell beer directly to consumers. Therefore it unfortunately is not possible for us to meet these requests.

CAN I BUY BREWERY GLASSWARE OR WEARABLES? Sorry, but we don't sell brewery glassware or wearables. Check our News & Events page to see if there is an event near you - where legal, you make be able to attend a promotion and take home a glass or a shirt.

WHY ARE YOU CALLED MERCHANT DU VIN? DO YOU SELL WINE? Prior to creating Merchant du Vin our founder had been among the country's leading wine importers and marketers. He originally envisioned importing both beer and wine under the MdV label and in fact did import some wine in the late 1970s. However, for almost all of our almost-forty-year history we have been exclusively an importer of the world's finest beers. We added Samuel Smith's Organic Cider to our portfolio in 2007.

CAN I GET A COASTER/LABEL OF MY FAVORITE BEER FROM YOU? Though these items are not always in stock, we will try to accommodate all requests. However, due to the volume of requests we receive, it may take us several weeks. To expedite the process please send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Also please note that we can send labels or coasters only to US addresses.

WHAT IS A TRAPPIST BEER? Trappist beers come from one of the world's 11 Trappist breweries. Trappist beers meet these criteria: (1) They are produced at a brewery within the walls of a monastery of the Cistercian order ("Trappist" for short). (2) The brewery is owned by the monastery, and is operated following "business practices proper to a monastic way of life." (3) After expenses, the brewery profits go to charity. Merchant du Vin is the US importer for three Trappist breweries: Orval, Rochefort, and Westmalle."Trappist" is a specific appellation, not a beer style - Trappist beers come in a range of styles - so the phrase "Trappist-style" is always incorrect. There is more information on the International Trappist Association website.

ARE YOUR BEERS VEGAN? All of our beers except three are Vegan, meaning they are free of any animal products or involvement with animal products. Our two Traquair House beers and one Sam Smith beer, Yorkshire Stingo, are not Vegan.

I AM SEEKING A DONATION TO A CHARITY OR EVENT THAT BENEFITS A CHARITY - WILL MERCHANT DU VIN MAKE A DONATION? We'll consider your request, but we ask you to read this 484 KB .pdf and follow the procedures.